Mary Quattlebaum - Hedgehogs

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Sincerely,

Mariam Jean Dreher
Professor of Reading Education
University of Maryland, College Park

Mary Quattlebaum

Washington, D.C.

To Arya, welcome to the world! M.Q.

Published by National Geographic Partners,
LLC, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Copyright and 2020 National Geographic
Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and Yellow Border
Design are trademarks of the National Geo
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Designed by Yay! Design

The author and publisher gratefully acknowl
edge the expert content review of this book
by Mike McClure, general curator, the
Maryland Zoo, and J. Jill Heatley, associate
professor, Department of Small Animal
Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas
A&M University, and the literacy review of
this book by Mariam Jean Dreher, professor
of reading education, University of Maryland,
College Park.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data

Names: Quattlebaum, Mary, author.
Title: Hedgehogs / Mary Quattlebaum.
Description: Washington, DC: National
Geographic Kids, 2020. | Series: National
geographic readers | Audience: Ages 4-6 |
Audience: Grades K-1
Identifiers: LCCN 2019051448 (print) | LCCN
2019051449 (ebook) | ISBN 9781426338304
(paperback) | ISBN 9781426338311 (library
binding) | ISBN 9781426338328 (ebook) | ISBN
9781426338335 (ebook other)
Subjects: LCSH: HedgehogsJuvenile literature.
Classification: LCC QL737.E753 Q38 2020 (print) |
LCC QL737.E753 (ebook) | DDC 599.33/2dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc
.gov/2019051448
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc
.gov/2019051449

National Geographic supports K12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Is this a porcupine? Or a pinecone
with a face?

No its a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs are small animals about
the size of a guinea (GHIN- ee) pig.
They have sharp spines on their
head and back.

Hedgehogs live on the ground in
forests, fields, and deserts. They
live in many parts of the world.

Hedgehogs live in parts of Africa,
Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

What do you get when you
cross a bush and a pig?

A hedgehog!

a European hedgehog
in a field

This hedgehog lives in
the desert in Israel.

All hedgehogs have spines.
Spines are hard, pointy
hairs. They keep the
hedgehog safe from
animals that want to eat it.
Foxes, badgers, owls, and
hawks hunt hedgehogs.

A hedgehog spine has a sharp
end that faces out.

Air pockets inside each
spine make the spines
light but strong.

When danger is near, a hedgehog
curls into a ball. Its face and soft
belly stay safe on the inside. The
sharp spines stick out on the
outside. The spines hurt animals
that try to bite the hedgehog.

A wolf thinks twice before
biting this hedgehog.